New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE GRAY ABOVE THE BLUE


nov Az EyER-vrCTORIOUs CONFEDkRAHs raw
CEASED TO EXIST.
ursroRy OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES NAvL t
By J. THOMAS scHARF' h'0as'"
evo, Pr s24.
rh,s 10 an .nproprtate and timely book Now that
n has becn decided in tho opinion Ut the parry III
rorcr and by tho results Of elections, that tho o'
"a IN he honored above the Blue and thar 'n' w"
seder.te cause really triumphed. 1t 10 hmely 70 To-
published works showing how 1t was ths' oo ,.,
SKIN and valor were victorious In almost cV0r! 80.
by land or sea- from tho beginning 70 tho Gnu " ~.
war and yet the somehow endod In an app~ CIV
.ud ,.mror.rv triumph Of the Union armies. MI
pollard long ago showed how General Leo IN cVciS
encounter worsted Mcclellan, and Pope ana Nieauc
and Grant and why, after all these Vic'orios' no
finally surrendered his sword. Mr. Scharf UNDERTAKES
. stiu moro difficult task, butt after the eecton Oh
President Cleveland, one that he evident'y approan
with confidence He shows how prIvateers deiea'ea
tho unarmed merchantmen. and how the Mcrrimac
defeated the Monitor: how the Asbama VIGOROUSLY
sank in presence Of the Kcarsarye. ana now inc
Of rebel ironcIads and gunboats tnumphAnuS .o "
the bottom or out of the way as Farragut anu foo'o
cleared western waters how In Short all .ho noo
NJ hattie and victory in every engagement remahco
Nth tbosc who stole from the United States all the
xcssels they could at the beginning OF the war; pun.
all they could and bought !n Europe ell they couo
during the war. and ended the struggle without snip
.noat truly heroic task 1t must DO admitted that
Df Mr.. Scharf. and considering its 'h'''"sio "''
no has performed It with singular success
Every good citizen ought to desire harmony, ABOVE
all things and In these days harmony means recog-
milton that the pick Of the offices and honorS belongs
If right to those who fought against the Cmon. 1.
would disturb the National harmony 10 pom' ou'
in detail the distortions Of TACT Dy wnlon
Union victories are made by Mr.. Schsrf " read ike
Union defeats and besides 1t would require pook
ncar,y as bulky as his Some hence when there
Is a President who docs not pick out unpardoneo
traitors TO represent the Nation abroad, or order the
return of captured flags to States once In repeon'
an impartial hand may prepare naval history ., 'n'
war which shall neither tell the story from ~! al
pout of view nor. scharf does, from rebel point
Of view but with full examination Of the records OF
both sides and with earnest desire to do justice ~
both. That history II ever written, will not mako IL
sppear that the Confcdcrates had the best OF every
engagement nor that they mysterousy reached the emu
of the war without defeat and yet without vessel
II NAV not disturb harmony" however, to show
what Mr. scharfs methods are by single Illustration
speakinr of the second days fight in Hampton Roads,
between tho Merrlmac and the Monitor. he says
(pago 100:
The battle RACED almost continuously for four hours
and about 1e terminated without material damage
TO either ship and certainly wsnou5 one sa~ indicate
success tho Virginia could claim the palm Of victory
She had sunk the Cumberland burned the congress;
rIdiIed the Minnesota destroyed the Dragon, burned
the whitehall injured the Roanoke and st. Lawrence
and left her mark upon the MOhltor.
Tho previous cbpter reciting the proceedings OF the
previous day. shows that it that day that the
cumberland was sunk on that day the Congress was
burned on that day the Minnesota was stranded ana
Misunderstanding according to the carpenters
official report Just eleven shots; 1t was on that day
that all the injury to the Roanoke and St. Law
renee was sustained 1t not by the Merrimac that
the Whitehall was burned at all, for the author page
1877 says the whitehall had three killed. and was
burned by the shell from Confederate gunbOat" and
finally tho Dragon, employed only as a tug to haul
of tho Minnesota was not Intentionally hurt at all,
but being I'm the line OF fro, received In her boiler
shot intended for the Minnesota page 17ot Thus,
as the only mode Of making out victory for the rebel
Mcrrimac In tho battle which "rascd almost contin-
uously for four hours the second day, Mr. Schar
rcctes all the harm done and not dono the
previous day. by ironclad to lot of wooden vessels
AS history, work prepared in this fashion Is be-
meath criticism. But contribution to hahn ony,"
as means Of delighting the souls Of former Confcd
crates in high Office. and abo to bcstow fat Offices
the book is success. AS fine Democratic campaign
document IT should be bought by most Of our present
Ministers and Consuls abroad, and rewarded by the
appointment of scharf to high office. His book Is
profusely illustrated with portraits Of rebel officers
and their ships is written in the style Of glowing
campaign document, and If there Is anything which
could have been said gory the disoyal side, and
its officers and men, that is not said in this book
we have failed to observe the omission